Hermès Footwear Development Specialist

About Hermès

Hermès is a storied French maison renowned for artisanal craftsmanship and timeless luxury across leather goods, ready-to-wear and accessories. The Footwear métier operates alongside Hermès’ integrated ateliers and international retail network, combining heritage savoir‑faire with industrial partners to produce two collections annually. As an employer, Hermès emphasises meticulous quality, cross‑disciplinary collaboration and a commitment to responsible business practices.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead development of edge dyes and stitching threads from concept through production, ensuring consistency across the collection and alignment with Creative and Material Development teams.
• Organise and manage sample requests, coordinate preparation of presentation pieces (Emotion Days, show samples) and oversee mannequin sample launches.
• Integrate and track technical modifications following editing sessions, liaising closely with external manufacturers to ensure technical feasibility and delivery timelines.
• Drive development for special projects (store windows, bespoke events), coordinating internal stakeholders and suppliers to meet design intent and deadlines.
• Support and mentor product developers on new developments, facilitating technical exchanges and monitoring project progress with manufacturers.
• Create, update and finalise technical product sheets from drawings and samples to production-ready documentation; codify and structure finished goods nomenclatures.
• Manage budgets for finished products and moulds, control costs through development and industrialisation phases, validate supplier invoices and maintain regular expense reporting.
• Administer finished-goods development stock: manage receipts/shipments, conduct inventories with stock managers and project leads, and produce service KPIs for Development and Industrialisation.

Qualifications

• Tertiary degree from a business school, fashion institute or engineering programme.
• Minimum one year of relevant experience in footwear or product development/industrialisation.
• Proven autonomy, organisational rigour and reliability in managing concurrent projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills and capacity to work collaboratively with Creative, Materials and Manufacturing teams.
• Analytical mindset with excellent observation, synthesis and problem‑solving abilities.
• Comfortable with digital tools and basic IT workflows; strong product sensitivity and aesthetic judgement.
• Knowledge of Italian is a plus.

Experience

Minimum 1 year of professional experience in footwear development, product industrialisation or a comparable role involving coordination with manufacturers and technical follow‑through.

Education

Degree from a business school, fashion school or engineering programme.

Workplace

Culture

Hermès combines artisanal tradition with contemporary product innovation; the workplace values meticulous craft, cross‑functional collaboration and long‑term relationships with manufacturing partners. The maison fosters an inclusive environment where technical excellence and creativity coexist.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.